THR's 35 Hottest Young Latinos in Entertainment

Like her Argentinian father and mother raised in Mexico, Bledel grew up speaking Spanish as her first language. Although the Houston native admits to not having a “stereotypically Latina” look, she is proud of her heritage. “I could just keep this to myself rather than confusing people about my background,” says Bledel, 31, “but I think people from Latin American countries look very different.” Of her best-known role on The WB’s Gilmore Girls, Bledel says: “My show was about a mother and daughter who were close. That’s a common dynamic in a lot of cultures but very much so in Hispanic culture.” Since then, she has tackled 2005’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Sin City and a three-episode arc on Mad Men’s season five. This summer, Bledel traveled to Honduras with Traveling Pants co-star America Ferrera for aid group One, stopping in Charlotte, N.C., on behalf of Voto Latino at the Democratic National Convention. Her thriller The Brass Teapot recently was acquired by Magnolia Pictures in Toronto.